Steinhardt Alumni Authors

The list below represents just a sampling of the Steinhardt alumni authors who have been in touch with us. Recognizing that there are many more alumni authors out there, we encourage you to share news of your books with us by sending an email to alumni.authors@nyu.edu.

Art Architecture, and Photography

Michael Connors, PhD '95 (Studies in Arts and Humanities) Caribbean Houses: History, Style, and Architecture is Michael Connors' 5th book. It is published by Rizzoli and was released in October 2009.

Kenneth Marantz, EdD '62 (Art Education) On December 15, 2008, Marantz's collection of picture books [some 22,000 or so] was formally installed in Kent State University's Reinberger Children's Library Center. It has become a Center for the Art of the picture book, a non-circulating resource for research and teaching. Plans for assorted projects are now being formed including exhibitions, artist residences, publications, curriculum development, etc. Marantz and wife Sylvia, a retired school librarian who helped him put the collection together, have been offered honorary membership in the university's faculty. The pair invite all NYU alums to visit and use the resource.

Jill Waterman, MA '88 (Art Education) Jill Waterman works as a photographer, editor, writer and educator in New York City. She works for PDN Custom Media & Events as editor of the ASMP Bulletin, PDNedu and other education and events projects. An experienced portfolio reviewer and workshop instructor, her widely exhibited photographic work, The New Year's Eve Project, has received notable press, including a 2003 appearance on The Today Show. Waterman's new book, Night & Low-Light Photography: Professional Techniques from Experts for Artistic and Commercial Success (Amphoto Books), is on night photography and draws on the expertise of 30 top nighttime specialists. For further details or image samples please contact the author at: info@NightPhotographyBook.com. Also visit the companion web site: www.NightPhotographyBook.com.

Jennifer Park, Steinhardt '01 Park co-authored Gothic: Dark Glamour which was published in 2008. In her essay "Melancholy and the Macabre: Gothic Rock and Fashion," Jennifer Park traces the evolution of goth from glam rock, punk and post-punk through to the first wave of archetypical gothic rock bands, including The Sisters of Mercy, Specimen, The Danse Society and Sex Gang Children. Goth may have originated with Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bauhaus and The Birthday Party, but it endures by way of all the copycat bands that have spawned and splintered from their legacy - they too have played a pivotal role in propelling the genre even further into being one of the most resilient subcultures to date.

Childrens Books

Harold Theurer, MA '81 (Rehabilitation Counselors) Theurer is author of the children's book, Hey Dad, Let's Have a Catch! in which the simple activity of playing catch between father and son becomes a metaphor for communication for any parent and child. In its second printing, the book has also been translated into Spanish and is available at Barnes & Noble or www.heydadthebook.com. Harold has also been invited to speak about the book this coming Father's Day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Maura Casey, Steinhardt '80 The Portal in the Park was published in 2006. Casey a physical therapist hooks up with a Grammy winning rapper from the Bronx to combine reading, music, academics and fitness. We must stop raising flagging spirits and use both side of the brain (IQ, EQ, & PQ). Their new concept of the screen play books captivates kids keeping even those with ADD focused and interested in reading. Learning should be fun. Scott is a typical eleven-year-old boy who pulls the reader along with him into a world of spiritual awakenings of the body and mind. He accidentally falls through a portal, and takes a scary journey into another dimension peopled by creatures who attempt to brainwash his spirit. We meet magical creatures who speak and sing their conversations. Scott learns about feelings and emotions and the importance of exercise to build endorphins-the body's natural stress relievers. Throughout his travels he is able to explore good and evil, and experience a personal transformation. It's sort of a modern day Siddhartha with an urban edge. It is an informative children's book in a league of its own. Casey has teamed up with Grandmaster Melle Mel a three time Grammy winner known as the father of Hip-Hop and this year will be the first hip-hop group ever to be inducted into the Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame. Together they have produced a unique multimedia book for the up-and-coming multitasking generation. The Portal in the Park includes a two-CD set of complete text, seven inspirational songs, and sound effects preformed by Grammy-winning Hip-Hop artist Grandmaster Melle Mel.

L.C. Mohr, Steinhardt '87 Krumbuckets, a futuristic children's novel for ages 7-13 was published in 2007.

Arlyne Parness, Steinhardt '64 Five Children's Stories by Grandma was published in 2006. This book is great for kids ages 4 to 9. The book is a compilation of five stories relating to precious moments of youth and the lessons to be learned within each of those moments. In easy to read language and format, which is easy on the eyes of adults and children alike, this juvenile primer provides five foundations for learning beautifully complemented with warm and descriptive illustrations. Five Children's Stories by Grandma presents a unique way for children to learn.

Computers and Technology

C.M. Yuhas, Steinhardt '71 Basic Concepts for Managing Telecommunications Networks: Copper to Sand to Glass to Air was published in 1999. If you want to know how to automate the operations of a telephone company or a communications carrier you need this book. Service provisiong, the impact of broadband technology and the complexity of software systems are treated. The last chapter shows how to prepare a business case for these types of systems.

Education

Dorothy Prokes, FSE, PhD '71 (Educational Theatre) Prokes' book, A Roadmap to Education: The CRE-ACT Way, has recently been published. In the book, which is arranged in the format of a dramatic production, whe outlines the "CREative ACTing" approach to education, which Prokes personally developed in 1972 after more than thirty years as an educator. This alternative approach to a traditional curriculum involves the integration of the visual arts, music, dance, and drama in order to encourage personal development and formation among students. The philosophy, methodology, and steps in developing personhood through the CRE-ACT system are explained and the Franciscan CRE-ACT School, where the CRE-ACT approach has been operating successfully for thirty-five years, is used as an example of the effective implementation of the CRE-ACT approach in an educational environment. For more information, visit: http://www.univpress.com/catalog/MultiBook.shtml

Laura J. Dull, Steinhardt '02 Disciplined Development: Teachers and Reform in Ghana was published in 2006. Drawing from her experiences working with prospective teachers in Ghana, Laura Dull explores the complexities and contradictions of education in a country both skeptical of US and World Bank policies and fearful of rejecting them. Her analysis provides a powerful case study of teacher preparation and nation-building in the broader context of post-colonial development and globalization in Africa.

Dr. Phyllis Povell, Steinhardt '71 Montessori Comes to America: The Leadership of Maria Montessori and Nancy McCormick Rambusch was published in 2010. This book traces the evolution of women's leadership and its influence on the Montessori Method's development. There are biographical chapters on Maria Montessori and Nancy McCormick Rambusch. It includes insights on the author's own formative years, showing how childhood, education and career all shape women into leaders.

Entertainment

Brian Cogan, PhD ‘02 (Media Ecology), MA ‘96 (Media Ecology) In 2008, Cogan published The Encyclopedia of Punk (Sterling Press). He is the co-editor of Mosh the Polls: Youth Voters, Popular Culture and Democratic Engagement (Lexington Press 2008), along with fellow Steinhardt alumnus Tony Kelso (PhD ‘02). Cogan is also the co-author of two other books released by Greenwood Press in 2009, and co-editor of the 2009 Lexington anthology. Cogan works as Associate Professor of Communication Arts at Molloy College on Long Island. He serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Popular Culture and is currently working on a manuscript on punk films.

Fiction

Alfred Canecchia, Steinhardt '78 Greenwich Village Vignettes was published in 2003. Greenwich Village Vignettes is a collection of short stories, or vignettes, chronicling a boy's coming of age during the time period after the Second World War, to the close of the tumultuous and life-changing decade of the 1960's.

Susane Colasanti, Steinhardt '98 When it Happens was published in 2006. At the start of her senior year in high school, Sara wants two things: to get into a top college and to find true love. Tobey also wants two things: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love with him. A popular jock named Dave moves in on Sara first, but Tobey's quirky wit and big blue eyes are hard for Sara to ignore. Plus, he gets the little things that matter to her - like why she loves the Lloyd Dobler boom-box scene in the movie "Say Anything..."Can a slacker rock-star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?

Ron Kase, Steinhardt '66 Fiddler's Elbow was published in 1991. A conspiracy to eliminate a threat to the survival of England's royal family, and the privileges it enjoys is hatched by a semi-official agency of the United States government. The novel, based on real events provides a fast paced adventure moving from Washington, DC to Vermont. Then to the Caribbean, and finally to London and Paris providing a possible explanation for one of the most disturbing events of the late twentieth century. Also written by Kase is Fiddler's Revenge, published in 2004. He had been in hiding for two years after the "Paris incident," and now Moro Moskowitz is back trying to re-start his life and looking for his married lover who has been "almost" an obsession for 10 years. A brilliant physician and scion of a wealthy mid-western family, Moro is also a former U.S. Army Ranger who can be called on to terminate the enemies of the people.

Mark Morrell, Steinhardt ‘96 Desperate Threads was published in December 2009. Written and produced entirely by the author, Desperate Threads weaves together 13 haunting fictional tales and also includes the author's own reflections of the twin towers and his experience in trying to get out of Manhattan on 9/11/2001. The fictional stories use the characters within each to philosophize about the dark burdens and tribulations that many of us deal with in our own everyday lives. New York and New Jersey serve as the centerpiece locations for most of the tales including Execution of A Suicide, New York Minute, and Auction of the Man in Black. Love, mystery, relationships, and desperation are the centerpiece narratives providing readers with emotional pull. Reflections of 9/11 is the author informing readers what it was like to just be one of the many on the streets of Manhattan on that fateful day and the view as he saw it in his attempt to get back to New Jersey to his girlfriend, Carolyn. Each story includes a brief introduction explaining the development and thoughts that led to writing them.

Salvatore Sapienza, Steinhardt '86 Seventy Times Seven was published in 2006. The book is a poignant, sexy, funny, and romantic novel set in the early 1990s about a young man's struggle to integrate his religious beliefs with his sexual desires. The gap between sexuality and spirituality is punctuated throughout the novel with quotes from the Scripture, and from song lyrics from Prince and Madonna, artists who merged the two worlds in provocative and grounding fashion. Vito struggles too, with the idealism that drives his desire to change the archaic ways of the Catholic Church and its views on AIDS and homosexuality.

Food and Wine

Tina Wasserman, MA '73 (Home Economics) After 40 years of teaching, lecturing about food, and 7 years of being the food columnist for Reform Judaism Magazine, which is the largest circulated Jewish magazine in the world, Wasserman recently debuted her first book, Entree to Judaism, A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora. The book is the first cookbook to be published by the Union of Reform Judaism and highlights all the regions of the world where Jews settled in the last 5000 years. Each recipe has an anecdotal introduction and also includes Tina's Tidbits to enable the novice cook to gain some culinary skills while exploring the history around each dish. Wasserman premiered the book in Toronto at the URJ biennial and then began her book tour, as well as her Scholar in Residence programs, at Temples around the country.

Elisa Zied, Steinhardt '95 (MS, RD) So What Can I Eat? How to Make Sense of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Make Them Your Own was published in 2006. You can enjoy all the foods you love-guilt free-with the USDA's new dietary guidelines. Go ahead, eat some chocolate. Have some butter. Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. As a matter of fact, there really isn't anything you can't eat, according to the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So What Can I Eat? helps you make sense of the new guidelines and provides an easy-to-follow plan to balance good nutrition with some of your favorite indulgences.Based on the most up-to-date scientific research, So What Can I Eat? explains how the dietary guidelines changed and why, and lays out a 7-step plan to help you painlessly incorporate the principles of the dietary guidelines into your life.

History, Nonfiction, and Memoir

Heather Vaughan, MA ‘04 (Visual Culture, Costume Studies) Vaughan was recently published as a contributor (my first book publication) to the Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing through American History 1900 to the Present [Two Volumes]. The book became available on October 30th.

Dee Merian, MA '78 (Home Economics) Dee Merian, published her fourth book, Southern California Stories, a collection of 10 short true stories, some of well know celebrities and others of lesser know American people. The book focuses on the important role each individual played in American wars like WWII, the Korean War, and the war in Vietnam. Also written by Merian is a book about commercial airlines a half century ago titled Flying High.

Rosalie H. Contino, MA '80, PhD '97 (Educational Theatre and Costume Design) What about those of us who went back to school for one course and stayed for two degrees? Contino became a Teaching Fellow costume designer for the Program in Educational Theatre. She wrote a book, Born to Create, about going back to school at age 40 to fulfill her dreams of being a writer/designer/playwright, which is now part of the NYU Bobst Library.

Nancy Schulman, Steinhardt '79 Practical Wisdom for Parents: Demystifying the Preschool Years was published in 2007. This book is a guide to navigating nursery school life both at home and in the classroom. It is a celebration of this very special time the life of a family. The authors are the directors of the 92nd Street Y Nursery School and draw on their combined 60 years of experience as educators and parents. This book answers questions such as: What should we look for in a preschool? What are the most effective and painless strategies for separation, discipline, toilet training and bedtime? How can we stimulate our children without over scheduling them. What are the best books and toys for every age and stage? How can we best support and encourage a child's early social and intellectual development at home and at school? This book is as warm and humorous as it is reassuring and wise.

Harry B. Dunbar, Steinhardt '49 A Brother Like Me: A Memoir was published in 1995. The memoirs of a retired black college professor and administrator, it covers Dunbar's experiences as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army in Europe and in the Southwest Pacific during World War II. Further it covers his years as a student at NYU, as a teacher in colleges in Mississippi, Arkansas, New York and New Jersey. Also written by Dunbar is African American Nonfiction Books in the 21st Century which was published in 2005. This study is a virtual annotation of a bibliography I compiled from among black nonfiction books published in this country in the last two decades of the twentieth century and forward. These 1,059 books by or about black people or the issues that impact us came to my attention in a variety of ways, over a period of some forty years, and in at least one exceptional case, that of Souls of Black Folk, which was published in the first decade of the twentieth century, rather than in the last two decades as are the others, and came to my attention when it appeared on a reading list in a graduate course I took in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in the late 1950s.

Gabrielle Euvino, Steinhardt '91 Dirty Italian, published in 2007, teaches the casual expressions heard every day on the streets of Italy. Unlike the material you would find in a conventional Italian language learning aid, this book gives the low down on what the Italians are really saying on the streets, beneath the sheets, and when passions run high. Also written by Euvino is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Italian, 3rd Edition which was published in 2004. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Italian, 3rd Edition gives readers the basics of the Italian language in simple, easy to understand terms.

Vijay S. Jodha, Steinhardt '96 Ageless Mind and Spirit was published in October of 2002. It took eight years for two men to travel across India to research, interview and photograph 400 people and create this book. The heart warming stories that have emerged, will change your perception about Indian society. Meet the man whose family once owned the whole of Calcutta or the eye doctor who spent over half a century travelling across India to examine and treat some ten million people without charging a penny! Or a man continuing a 900-year old textile tradition that is now confined to only three families; the swashbuckling female doctor who commandeered the world's first women military regiment, or an illiterate woman who planted and nurtured hundreds of trees even though she did not know how to count them; the actor who was called in to essay the same role over and over again in films and ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records. Also co-authored by Jodha is Tiranga: A Celebration of the Indian Flag which was published in January of 2005. The book was the product of the largest project of its kind and features images of India's leading photographers including Avinash Pasricha, Dayanita Singh, Raghu Rai, Ram Rahman, Swapan Parekh and T. S. Satyan. A photography exhibition from the project has been showcased at various art galleries in India and abroad, and has been well-received by critics and the public.

Nicholas J. Karolides, Steinhardt '50, '51, '63 120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature was published in 2005. 120 Banned Books is an update of the 1998 book, 100 Banned Books. The new book profiles 30 well-known works in four areas--political, religious, sexual, and social.

Richard T. Nolan, Steinhardt '73 Living Issues in Ethics is an iUniverse reprint of the successful Wadsworth undergraduate textbook. It was published in 2000. Also by Nolan is Living Issues in Philosophy, 9th edition which was published in 1995 and Soul Mates: More than Partners which was published in 2004.

James M. O'Kane, Steinhardt '68 Wicked Deeds: Murder in America was published in 2005. The book is an overview of what we know about homicide, its patterns, regularities, and predictability. All the major types of murder are analyzed and categorized. The book includes over 200 actual homicides which range from the "ordinary" to the bizarre.

E. J. Wagner (Steinhardt '62)The Science of Sherlock HolmesThe Science of Sherlock Holmes is a wild ride in a hansom cab through medicine, law, pathology, toxicology, anatomy, blood chemistry and the emergence of real-life forensic science during the 19th and 20th centuries along the road paved by Sherlock Holmes. The Science of Sherlock Holmes was winner of the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2007 in the Best Critical/Biographical category.

Inspiration

Joseph Amodeo, MA ‘75 (Deafness Rehabilitation Counseling) Amodeo's book, My Moments of Hope, gives hope to all people and tells how important dreams are. After thirty years with Parkinson's disease, the author's suffering became his hope. His hope became my desire which helped to heal him. Amodeo encourages all to "ignite," their own spirit within.

Howard Glasser, BA '74 (Deafness Rehabilitation) Glasser has recently completed his seventh book called, You are Oprah! Igniting the Fires of Greatness. Four of Glasser's books rank in the top 1% of sales on Amazon.com. His development of the "Nurtured Heart Approach" for helping teachers and parents with intense and challenging children has resulted in the Inner Wealth Initiative which is now being used in thousands of classrooms across the country. Glasser is the founder and executive director of the Children's Success Foundation. The foundation's mission is to help children to experience their greatness. It is Glasser's belief that "children who come to feel great about themselves bring greatness to every aspect of their lives."

Len Biegel, ED '58 (Communications in Education) Biegel's latest book, Never say Never: The Complete Executive Guide to Crisis Management (Brick Tower Press, NYC), was written in 2008. Biegel serves as President of The Biegel Group Inc. and of Counsel, Levick Strategic Communications.

Linda Blachman, Steinhardt '71 Another Morning: Voices of Truth and Hope from Mothers with Cancer was published in 2006. Through passionate first-person narratives woven together with the author's reflections on motherhood and mortality, Another Morning reveals how ill mothers go on living and raising children in the face of profound challenge and uncertainty. The stories offer insight, inspiration, and perspective to all parents facing difficult times and to the people who care about them. Another Morning is based on the author's decade of work as founder and director of Mothers' Living Stories, a Bay-Area based nonprofit project that trains Volunteer Listeners to record the personal stories and legacies of mothers living with cancer.

Kenneth Jedding (Steinhardt '95)Higher Education: On Life, Landing a Job, and Everything Else They Didn't Teach You in College, Nonfiction: 2010Published by Rodale, Inc., Higher Education was inspired by the author's wish, when he graduated, to have a mentor to help him figure out relationsihps, his parents and, especially, how to get started in his career. Based on ten years of lecturing at colleges and universities across the country, Higher Education provides advice to help people in their twenties get started on their path.

Medical

Richard Adler, MA '70 (Teacher of Speech and Hearing) Richard Adler was promoted to Dean of Graduate Studies and Interim Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He co-authored, Voice and Communication Therapy for the Transgender/Transsexual Client: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide (Plural Publishing San Diego), in 2006 and Neurology for the Speech-Language Pathologist (Elsevier Publishers, St. Louis), in 2007. In 2009, Adler co-authored a new book, Anatomy and Physiology for Speech, Language, and Hearing (Thieme Publishers, New York).

Marilyn Moffat, Steinhardt '64, '73 The American Physical Therapy Association Book of Body Maintenance and Repair was published in 1999. Whether you've been injured or want to avoid injury, this book can help you. Written by a prominent physical therapist, this book provides you with factual, concise material about what can go wrong with your body. Part 1 presents nine common injury sites--back, neck, jaw, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, hip, knee, and ankle and foot--describing the anatomy and function of that area of the body, what can go wrong, and what to do if you experience pain or injury there. Part 2 explains how to avoid injury through proper posture, gait, body mechanics (how we use our bodies in daily activities), body weight, and footwear. You also get a program of beginning strength training and stretching, plus tips for avoiding injuries in sports, exercise activities, and in the workplace. Part 3 presents 200 clearly illustrated exercises for strength (beginning level) and flexibility that can be done at home. Some require dumbbells or ankle weights most need no equipment. Many are done seated or lying down, so even if you haven't fully recovered, you can start to rehabilitate those areas that are ready. The illustrations are line drawings, large enough so that you can learn the exercises easily with the book open on the floor.

Philosophy

Joel B. Wolowelsky, Steinhardt '79 War and Peace in the Jewish Tradition was published in 2007. The Orthodox Forum is a think-tank of educators, rabbis and academics which meets annually under the sponsorship of Yeshiva University. Its sixteenth meeting took up the questions of War, Peace and the Jewish Tand spiritual resources within the Jewish Orthodox community, papers of which are published here. The Forum developed perspectives on war informed by moral sensitivity, political wisdom and, above all, fidelity to the biblical and rabbinic tradition. Also co-authored by Wolowelsky is Days of Deliverance: Essays on Purim and Hanukkah which was published in 2007. This is the eighth volume of the series MeOtzar HoRav, selected writings of the late Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, one of the foremost intellectual and religious leaders of twentieth-century Orthodox Judaism. For Rabbi Soloveitchik, Purim and Hanukkah, two Jewish holidays of rabbinic origin, stand at the nexus of faith and history, of human effort and divine intervention, of solemnity and joyous celebration.

Poetry and Plays

Donna Pucciani, MA '72, PhD '72 (Music Education) In 2008, Pucciani published her third collection of poetry, Chasing the Saints, (Virtual Artists Collective, Chicago). Her prior work includes, Jumping off the Train (Windstorm, 2007), and The Other Side of Thunder (Flarestack, U.K., 2006). She has published approximately three hundred poems in the United States and United Kingdom in such journals as International Poetry Review, The Pedestal, Spoon River Poetry Review, JAMA, Iota, and Valparaiso Poetry Review. Pucciani has won awards from the Illinois Arts Council, Chicago Poets and Patrons, the Illinois State Poetry Society, the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, and the Frieda Stein Fenster Memorial. She currently serves as Vice President of the Poets' Club of Chicago.

Rosalie H. Contino, MA '80, PhD '97 (Educational Theatre and Costume Design) Contino's Story, "My Grandmother's Garden," was published by IdeaGems.com in the Spring 2009 Issue. Her poem "Halloween," is now in the Fall 2009 issue of the same magazine. Her other works published by IdeaGems.com include poem, "A Passing Storm," (Spring 2008), short Story, "The Telegram," (Summer 2008), poem, "Death Visited Me Today I Don't Know Why," (Fall 2008), essay, "Sea Scape," (Winter 2008), and short story, "Mother and the Plots," which received Honorable Mention at the Ocean Park Writers' Conference (Maine, Summer 2008).

Nina Mansfield, MA ‘05 (Educational Theatre with Teaching English 7-12) Nina Mansfield's play, Missed Exit, has been published by One Act Play Depot as part of the Longwood University "0 to 60" Ten-Minute Play Contest Winners Collection. Her play, Pedestrian Casualty: Bronx, USA, was produced by the 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities in January as part of The Fresh Five Festival. Her short story, A Fellow of Infinite Jest, was published in the November 2009 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Home and Garden